Really Say It
by Dawn Redwood
Summary: An alternative version of events from where Chapter 134 leaves off. Hak/Yona fluff. Rating might change.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Continuation from official Chapter 134.

* * *

 **Really Say It**

".. that terrible look in your eye never changes, does it? Thunder Beast of Kouka, Hak." The epithet had a sober weight to it, one that felt as though it rolled off the man's tongue only to settle heavily on Hak's shoulders. _Strange._ It had been a long time since someone had formally addressed him like that. It felt odd. It felt good. Better than it should.

"Mister Ogi tells me things." He could hear Soo-won's young voice in his head as if it were yesterday. Jaw set, the chief stared back at him through his straggled hair.

Then Hak whipped his fist around, solidly meeting the man's head. Ogi immediately dropped, unconscious. Yona gasped.

"Hak-"

"He would have given us away," he replied shortly, lifting the man back up.

"But now how are we going to get out of here?" she hissed back, casting a glance at the door. Hak shrugged, then waved the chief's limp form.

"Hey-" The two Xing warriors sprung forward to take the captive.

"Leave him to us," Zold gave him a small smile before hefting Ogi onto his companion and strolling out into the next room. "Oi, now, the man's had too much to drink again. Take that bottle away from him sometime now, eh? You there, take him home, let him sleep it off-" The man at the door- the man that had recognized Vold earlier- snorted.

"I don't have time to take care of that drunkard. Toss him on the floor, he won't know the difference." Vold smirked.

"Perhaps, but maybe some fresh air would help?"

"Eh, it might. He could foul up the air anywhere, though." _He's a terrible guard,_ Hak thought.

"I'll bring him outside for a bit then, see if that helps any. I have some information that might be time sensitive to him. It would be best to relay it to him quickly, and get my own information in turn." The man hesitated for a tense moment, then shrugged.

"If you'd like. And… and tell 'im Won's showing up tomorrow, while you're at it." Hak froze. Yona bumped gently into him. Then he recovered, forcing himself to keep moving, keeping up a casual stroll to the door.

"Aye," Vold responded with a smile. "I will."

To Hak's relief, they made it back to their inn without any hassle, promptly gagging and tying up Ogi. It was not long after that that their captive woke up to Yona peering at him, Hak standing against the wall behind her.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. "Hak says if you stay quiet, you can eat." Master Ogi's eyes narrowed. "We don't want to hurt you-" Hak snorted, then quieted with a stern look from Yona. "Well, _I_ don't want to hurt you," she said, turning back to him. Lowering her voice, she added to reassure him, "I don't think Hak does, either. Not if he doesn't have any reason to." Hak chuckled to himself- her innocent, sincere observation seemed to strike more fear into Ogi than the actual presence of the Thunder Beast. He cleared his throat.

"Nod if you want to eat." The subsequent nod, removal of gag, soup, and retying of gag occurred quietly and uneventfully, except for Yona almost spilling soup of herself, to Hak's amusement.

"So… Won still drops by? Once a month… or once a week?" Hak sized up Ogi, who remained quiet. "Don't get your underpants all up in a twist. We need to talk to him, nothing will happen to him." Silence. "Mmm. Guess I wouldn't believe me, either." Hak shrugged. "Not that it matters." He stood by, absently stretching him arms. "We have our plan."

The door opened, and Algira stepped in.

"It's late, Hak-nyan." He jerked his head to the right. "The other room is down the hall." He nodded at Yona. "We'll stick with Mr. Ogi, here. You should stay with her." Hak's eyes shot over to the princess; he felt a funny jolt in his stomach when their gazes met.

Last night- their last night in the woods- he told her he loved her. He made sure she didn't hear it, so quietly he breathed it. But she almost did.

He wasn't sure what had come over him. He had thought… well, he wasn't sure what he thought. He didn't know what stepping into the city would bring. He had half-expected the guards to grab them as they walked in. He hadn't been sure he would be alone with her again. Maybe ever.

So he had given into those words, the treacherous words that had been on the tip of his tongue for weeks, threatening to slip out. He had pulled her into his arms tightly, trying to memorize how she felt pressed up against him. Telling himself this might be the last time.

And now they were going to be alone again.

 _Huh._ For the first time, he had told her his most well-kept secret, letting his feelings dictate his actions, certain that there would be no other opportunities in the days to come. _Now what?_

Algira was still waiting for an answer from him. Hak cleared his throat.

"Right. Thanks." He jerked his head towards the door, not quite meeting the princess's eyes this time. "Let's go."

He was feeling more disoriented in her presence than he had in a long time. Maybe because he could not get the thought of her hand holding the back of his shirt out of his head. Especially when she was behind him, following him out of the room. _If I stopped, she would bump into me._ Even though he told himself he was being ridiculous, he could not help but feel relieved when she slipped ahead of him.

Algira had moved their bags already onto the bed. The _only_ bed.

"Of course," Hak muttered to himself.

"What, Hak?" He coughed.

"No worries, Princess. I can see if they have an extra cot- if not, the floor is fine-" Yona frowned.

"Why? We sleep together all the time," she replied, sounding almost reproachful. Hak held up his hands, unable to stop a smile from crossing his lips.

"Ehhhh now. Can't keep your hands off of me, Princess?" Yona shot him a withering look.

"Who hugged who last night?"

"You started it," he retorted.

"How so?" she sniffed, turning away. "Close your eyes or go away. They drew bath water, and I intend to use it." Relieved that she did not pursue her question further, Hak closed his eyes. "You're going to bathe next, if you are sleeping next to me." A ghost of a smile flickered across his lips.

"Yes, Princess."


	2. Chapter 2

He could hear her splashing in the water. She had been quiet since she had gotten in. He would have preferred their usual banter- if there was any time he needed a distraction, it was now.

"Aren't you cold by now?" he asked idly, sitting down against the wall.

"Stop worrying about the temperature. They'll bring up more water for you if you ring." He chuckled.

"You wound me, Princess, thinking my motivations for asking so selfish. I merely worry about your well-being." She did not rise to his baiting, which was strange, for her. He fidgeted- drastic measures would have to be taken. "You are so quiet tonight, Hime. Shall I come check on you?" Her immediate gasp brought a grin to his face. He could almost _hear_ her scowl.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Hime, it's nothing I haven't seen before." That was true. "Not at all arousing." Now, that was both a half-truth and a bold-faced lie. There was nothing sexy about her bare skin when he had seen it before- the times when she was in danger, injured, or needed help. In those moments, nothing but her safety occupied his thoughts. There were other nights, though…. Nights where she drew him towards her like a moth to a flame. Nights when she mesmerized him, unknowingly tested every inch of his resolve and self-restraint. Nights he almost kissed her. Nights when they were safe, just enjoying each other's company, when urgency and danger were put on hold for a few hours' time. Nights like those celebrations in Awa and in Senri. Nights like this one.

"You're terrible."

"Honesty is important in all close relationships," he volleyed back.

"Are we close?" He froze. Those words brought him swiftly back to the last time she had asked almost that very same question.

"That's a… a ridiculous question." Then, in an attempt not to be a jerk, he added, "We've been travelling together for months. Leading a life we never could have imagined. There's not much closer to get," he added as an afterthought, trying to recover his scattering thoughts about how much closer they _could_ get.

"I guess not." Her silence was beginning to unnerve him. Unfortunately, she continued the unusual reticence through the rest of her bath, the servant's exchange of bath water, and Hak's own bath. He scoured his body quickly, dallying just enough so that she would be asleep by the time he was done. Neither of them needed to be distracted tonight. It would be a terrible night to complicate things- they needed to be at their sharpest tomorrow.

When he redressed and stepped out, the sight of her curled up on the bed made him snort. Despite her insistence that he did not need to sleep on the floor, she takes up whole bed. Stifling a chuckle, he sits down on the floor, next to the door, pushing his back up against the wall. Spear at his fingertips, he let his eyes close, listening to his heart. It was annoyingly loud, and quicker than usual.

"Do you always sleep like that, when you aren't with me?" Hak cracked an eyelid- the princess was awake, peering out from the blankets at him. "With a weapon in hand?"

"You'd fall on it, if I brought it with me."

"Aren't you worried about falling on it?" Her curiousity makes him grin.

"Nope." Her eyes narrowed, and Hak felt obliged to return her gaze, despite the urge to look away. They were quiet for a long moment. Then Yona sat up, tapping the space next to her.

"Leave it there and come here."

The casual order make Hak's pulse thunder in his ears. For all their innocence, they rang with a familiarity- an understanding- that had been growing more and more between them. Somehow, it had become the norm for him to sleep by her side, so much so that now she was going to insist he come to her. He could feel his cheeks warm, and thanked whatever gods there were that it was dim in the room- she probably wouldn't even notice.

"Hard to protect you without a weapon." Her short, exasperated breath brought a smile to his lips.

"Then bring it, if you aren't worried about me falling on it," she muttered. He laughed.

"I'll leave it out of your reach."

"Nice to see you've thought of everything." Her sniping made it easier for him to approach her, to roll onto the bed, to lie down, and then to turn towards her.

"Always, Hime," he chuckled, his face inches from hers. Her eyes were wide- maybe, for the first time, realizing how close they would be on the small bed. It was true that she and Yun probably would have easily fit- but that was not going to be the case with Hak. _Had she really not realized?_ She would feel silly rescinding her offer now, but the last thing he wanted was for her to be uncomfortable. He quickly propped his head up on his hand, creating some small amount of distance between their faces. "You should sleep." Yona smiled.

"I'm not the only one," she retorted. The princess curled up, putting her head in the space under his arm. "You need to rest, too." There it was- the hint of concern that made him want to take her into his arms and not let go. He stayed still.

"Good night, Hime."

She stopped shifting around, and soon the only sounds he was aware of were her breath and his heart. It had been silly to lie down next to her- he was tense, so tense he was a little worried that he _would_ fall off the bed and onto his own spear. _What a way to go._ Jae-ha would drag him back from the dead to laugh at him. Then Yona spoke again.

"Are you worried about the plan?"

"No," he lied. She was quiet. "Are you? "

"Of course I am," she retorted. Then her voice fell. "Hak…. we are going to see him." He looked up at the ceiling as she sat up.

"I know."

"We are going to ask him for help." He swallowed a bitter lump in his throat. Somehow, he had managed to put all of this out of his mind. Not the tactics and plans themselves, but all that emotional meaning? He would rather it stay tucked away in the back of his mind.

"I know."

"He'll have guards and-"

"Maybe." Hak really was not too concerned about bodyguards in general. She was still trying to catch his eye.

"-we don't know what he'll do."

Maybe Yona thought they didn't, but Hak knew.

At least, he thought he did. Last time they came across each other, the Sky Tribe would have had his blood spilled across the dirt if Soo-woon had not called them off. Hak had wondered, for a brief moment, if Soo-woon had interfered out of affection- but it had been because of the dragons standing by his side.

Without their presence, the situation would have turned into a bloodbath, with the Wind Clan pulled in on top of everything else. Now they were going to go, without that assurance, that backup.

Soo-woon would want his head. It was not a thought Hak wanted to entertain.

But then there was Awa.

When Yona and Soo-won crossed paths, and he let her go. As far as Hak knew, as much as he could discern on such short notice, Soo woon had concealed Yona's presence from his men. He had protected her.

But Hak could not pretend he knew what the king was thinking anymore. Did he have some longer end game in mind? Did he have another plan Hak could not discern?

He wanted to absolve his old friend- somehow, another story would emerge, one that made sense.

To dwell on such possibilities was foolish, even dangerous.

Soo-won had always been good at surprising him. Hak would have to be ready for anything.

"Hak," Yona solemnly broke through his musings. "You came all this way, you don't have to- to-" She steeled herself. "To come with me. To do anything about this." It seemed that she had taken his silence as hesitancy.

"Oh Princess," he chuckled darkly. "As I'd have a choice-" She took that the wrong way.

"Oh, Hak- of course you do!" Her obvious reluctance shifts to earnest concern. "I couldn't ever order you to do this, not when-" Sighing, he turned towards her. Now he had done it.

"Princess-" She held her hands up.

"No, no, I know what you are going to say-"

"I-"

"It would be selfish of me to ask anything more of you-"

"It's not-"

"If you tell me to order you, I-" He reached for her.

"Yona!" He was not sure if it was the sound of her name or his hands on her shoulders that quieted them both for a moment. "It's okay." He ran his thumbs along her sleeves gently. "I'll be there." He cocked his head, smirking at her. "You are a terrible listener sometimes."

"Only sometimes?" He chuckled. She picked up the corner of his vest, and fiddled with it, her eyes fixed on it. "Why are you doing this? You do everything for my father as he asked, and he would not want this."

"I think he would want you to chose peace. To pursue it, in a time of war, is very much something King Il would have wanted," he responded softly.

"But he would not want _me_ here."

"You, on the front lines? No, probably not." _Definitely not._ He was not too fond of it himself.

"Hak…"

"…. Princess?" She stiffened in his hands, and turned her face up to his. Her face had changed- grown somber and determined.

"You will always follow me because of my father's orders," she said, her voice sounding unusually hard and rehearsed. "You are loyal, you are good- you have made good on that promise." These were all good things, so why did he suddenly feel so shaken?

"I-" She held a hand and he fell silent.

"Hak…." She reached for the pendant around his neck. The promise of good fortune. "Hak, I release you from your vow to my father."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:This is now mostly written, mostly figured out, I just have had no time to type it... so it's on it's way, this is short but the action will be up next!**

* * *

"Huh?"

He blinked.

"The oath, the one you made... The one to my father." She looked down, then seemed to steady herself before she met his gaze against "-to protect me. To follow me."

She looked so... determined. As he sized her up, her bottom lip trembled slightly.

"So... You're free." At those words, Hak's eyebrow twitched.

"Free... To do what?" The question seemed to upset her.

"I- I don't know, whatever you want!" Her lip trembled more now. "You can go, leave- " Yona fell silent. Hak eyed her for a moment longer.

"You really should get some rest now," he said softly. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Now she was glaring at him.

"Didn't you hear me?"

"Yes, I heard you." Hak gritted his teeth. Troublesome princess.

"Hak, you can do whatever you want-"

"That's nice. Hime, go to sleep."

"No! Hak-"

"Didn't you hear-"

'You aren't listening!" she snapped, voice breaking. Hak fell silent. "I told you, you don't have to do this." He looked away, focusing on the wall, a lump caught in his throat.

He was thrown. He was…. Angry. How could she just cast him aside? He knew why- he knew she had his own welfare in mind. But how could she think that was what he wanted? Did she really think that was best?

And yet, it was unfair of him to expect anything else, when he had always kept her at arm's length. Princess and Bodyguard. That was safe. Now she wanted- what did she want? For him to leave? For him to stay?

Why now? Guilt? Nobility? Stubbornness? And how could he assuage whatever it was prompting her to speak this, to push him away? How to make her take back those words, how to stay with her without pushing this into even more dangerous territory…. How to tell her he would always stay, _wanted_ to stay…

 _How to say….._

"I don't see why Droopy Eyes gets to stay without an oath," he grumbled. He heard her shift in surprise.

"That… that's different."

"No it's not." He snorted. "You don't really think that green-haired pervert is more credible than me, do you?"

"Why?" Yona's voice quavered. "Why stay?"

"Because." Still not meeting her eyes, he scowled, trying to appear annoyed instead of nervous. Bored instead of elusive. "You never asked the dragons why."

"They follow me because they believe in Hiryuu… and I know you don't believe in that sort of thing," Yona stated calmly, matter-of-factly. Hak on the other hand, was no longer so certain what he believed, but that was besides the point. She leaned in closer to him. "You've been here because you made a promise. It's been unfair of me to hold you to that-"

"I may not believe in Hiryuu," he interjected, hesitating for a brief moment. Then, slow and deliberate, he raised his hand and rested it lightly on top of hers. "-but I do believe in you." When he turned to look at her, she was blushing, a brilliant, beautiful red. Without really thinking about it, he took the moment to intertwine his fingers with hers. "I do," he repeated, the words ringing with all the earnest sincerity of the thoughts he kept to himself. "And that… is why I'll go with you."

A soft light crept into her eyes- a realization of significance was obvious in her face.

"Oh," was all she said. He turned around, averting his gaze from her wide, wide eyes.

"Go to sleep, Princess. You need all the beauty sleep you can get." He smiled to himself when she sputtered, a beat later than usual. When she smacked his shoulder, he closed his eyes, relieved that, for the moment, he had preserved that delicate balance between them.


End file.
